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A Tragic Opera - Can it be a Source of inspiration?

A Tragic Opera - Can it be a Source of inspiration?. Cancer and its decisive impact on human existence. A Tragic Opera with 6 Acts. Suffering losses that bring grief Threatened by isolation from life and relationship networks Attacked by the hounds of fear

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A Tragic Opera - Can it be a Source of inspiration?

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  1. A Tragic Opera- Can it be a Source of inspiration? Cancer and its decisive impact on human existence

  2. A Tragic Opera with 6 Acts • Suffering losses that bring grief • Threatened by isolation from life and relationship networks • Attacked by the hounds of fear • Struggling with questions about guilt • Thrown around by emotional struggles • Battling with various types of pain All acts are performed simultaneously!

  3. Act 1: Suffering losses that bring grief • Wellbeing / mobility / physical self-control • Loss of dignity: physical / mental / emotional • Bodily strength • Identity / control / decision making • Relationships • Work / security / social status / possessions • Future • Opportunities to make peace with God • Ultimately, loss of own body

  4. Act 2: Threatened by isolationfrom life and relationship networks • Dying is an individual process • Social factors can contribute • Nature of the disease can contribute • Can experience isolation even when not so

  5. Act 3: Attacked by the hounds of fear • The nature and seriousness of the disease • The future / re family / re finances • Suffering and pain • Dependence on others / Helplessness • Being a burden • Being alone / being abandoned • Humiliation • Not being able to cope emotionally • Separation from loved ones / from God • The unknown • Punishment / judgment • Losing mental capacities

  6. Act 4: Struggling with questions about guilt • Guilt is the consequence of breaking a law; it is a judicial state, not a feeling • Four types of guilt • Personal • Social • Legal • Theological • Guilt about: • Bad things done • Good things not done

  7. Denial  Rebellion  Negotiation  Restlessness  Anger  Distrust  Despair  Disappointment  Doubt  Criticism  Depression  Bitterness  Insight Surrender Acceptance Peace, clear conscience Meekness Trust in relationships Courage, hope Satisfaction Certainty, security Appreciation, gratitude Comforted, joy Reconciliation, forgiveness Act 5: Thrown around by emotional struggles

  8. Transcendent 6. Battling with various types of pain

  9. The main aria - the song of the cancer sufferer • Please draw a cancer history timeline from five years before you first noticed something was wrong right up to today • Either from the patient perspective • Or from the relative / friend perspective • In this timeline show highs and lows where the cancer sufferer was facing various aspects of the six acts: losses, isolation, fear, guilt, emotional struggles and pain • Share this with one another in the discussion time asking: What can we learn from this history?

  10. Example: Cancer History Timeline 1989 1994 2000

  11. Possible extra activities: • You might want to expand a section of the timeline on another sheet of paper to show more details • Write a poem about your time line • Make a drawing / painting about your time line • Write an essay about your time line • What about a daily journal where you examine all six acts of the opera?

  12. Discussion Time • Share your Cancer History Timeline in the group • Group members are not allowed to give comments or advice, only to ask clarifying questions. • You might want to add some extra elements to your timeline • Questions remind you of something • Other stories remind you of something • When the person has finished their own story, discuss: What can we learn from this history?

  13. Facing Death in the Tragic Opera • Spiritual needs of those with cancer • What about life after death? • The second aria – the experience of the survivors • Group Discussions • Plenary Feedback: what we have learnt from one another’s experiences

  14. 7 basic spiritual needs of those with cancer • Good relationship with God • Good relationships with relatives • Hope • Meaning • Purpose • Life concluded with no loose ends • Prepared for the transition

  15. What about life after death?a Christian perspective Conception Second coming of Christ Birth Death Paradise New heaven and new earth Hades Gehenna / Hell

  16. How can we make sure our life after death is good? From a model developed by Dr Walt Larimore

  17. The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6: 23) Lord Jesus Christ wages gift sin God death eternal life but

  18. The second aria - the song of the relative • Please draw a close relative/friend history timeline from five years before you first noticed something was wrong up to today • Either from the patient perspective • Or from the relative / friend perspective • In this timeline show highs and lows where the relative / friend of the cancer sufferer was facing various aspects of the six scenes: losses, isolation, fear, guilt, emotional struggles and pain

  19. Discussion Time • Share your Cancer History Timeline in the group • Group members are not allowed to give comments or advice, only to ask clarifying questions. • When the person has finished his / her own story, discuss: What can we learn from this history? How can we sing better?

  20. Plenary Feedback: What have we learnt? • Not allow work to ruin your life • Doctors should learn to share the news about cancer in a better way • Relatives are very important to cancer patients • Give special attention to how the children experience the cancer of relatives • Power of the Word of God if used in a good way • People also go through the six acts in other traumatic situations: divorce, sudden death of a loved one • Sometimes cancer patients experience other situations (divorce / sudden death of a loved one) as more traumatic than their cancer • Even if we do not have cancer, we need to prepare ourselves for death • Live life to the full in any case • All of us are going to die at some stage; as we realize this it gives such a different perspective to life

  21. Sing your aria to inspire othersin the tragic opera of cancer

  22. Transcendent Make a whole person diagnosis • Make a strengths / weaknesses evaluation of all relationships in the diagram

  23. Transcendent Work towards whole person wholeness • Relating rightly to • inner human, • outer human, • relationship network, • environment • transcendent • Biblical concept that covers all these aspects: Shalom

  24. Paint a life of SHALOM • Shalom touches all areas of life • What it is: • The presence, blessing and peace of God • Jesus Christ Himself • Shalom continues all the way right through death, so it can always be our goal

  25. What needs to be done about my spiritual needs? • Good relationship with God • Good relationships with relatives • Hope • Meaning • Purpose • Life concluded with no loose ends • Prepared for the transition

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